Wildwood planning commission backs study to allow drive‑throughs on two state corridors

The Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 6 voted to forward a draft letter recommending the city consider allowing drive‑through facilities at 10 properties that front State Route 109 and State Route 100.

The recommendation, which the commission approved by roll call, asks the City Council to review potential allowances for drive‑throughs in the town center’s workplace district and to study their impacts on design, circulation and adjacent residential areas.

Commissioners and staff stressed the action is exploratory. Travis Vinich of the Department of Planning told the commission the department selected the 10 parcels as “an experiment” because the properties front arterial roadways where traffic volumes may support such uses. Commissioner Helfrich asked whether excluding Old Manchester Road properties today would bar them from future consideration; Vinich said it would not and that the department could revisit Manchester Road later.

The draft letter of recommendation was approved with a request from the commission to explicitly keep Manchester Road in the study context. The commission’s roll call recorded unanimous support from voting members present.

The department’s memo to the commission said the workplace district currently prohibits restaurants or comparable uses with drive‑through facilities and that any change would consider architectural and site‑design measures and possible mitigation for nearby residential areas.

Next steps: the Planning and Zoning Commission’s letter will be forwarded to the City Council for its consideration, and staff signaled they may return with recommendations for additional corridors if the pilot is successful.